Operation ASHA
Operation ASHA is a non-profit organization based in India working to stop drug-resistant TB, aiming to treat over 100,000 TB patients per year by mid-2021.
What we should know about you
Questions answered by Shruti Ahuja, Deputy Director, Finance, Donor Relations & Communications
1. Imagine yourself/yourselves 5 years ago in comparison to the situation you are in today. Which achievements surprise you the most?
Expansion. By next year, we will be five times bigger than we were five years ago. The expansion process started in September 2020, in spite of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This process will continue until the middle of 2021. By that time, we will treat over 100,000 TB patients a year, second only to BRAC. As a matter of fact, our TB program will be bigger than most countries in the world.
2. What was a troubling time that you managed to overcome?
We ran into some trouble when trying to attract funding from established donors but overcame it by persistence in fundraising and convincing other donors to support us, especially governments. This brought an added benefit that government funding is usually more reliable and sustainable than other types of donations.
3. What recommendation would you give to someone who thinks about starting a social enterprise?
Success in a social enterprise needs two things. First is undoubted passion for the cause. The second is a dogged commitment to results. Remember this needs a lot more than one element. As a matter of fact, achieving results in the social sector and measuring them is even more difficult than in a business. So, a social enterprise must be run as a high quality business with professional hiring, a strong administrative backbone, optimal use of technology and aggressive cost containment. But once you have all this in place, funding is not an issue and the mission is more easily achieved than one may think.
Additional achievements
Awards
- Ranked 67th among Top 500 NGOs in the world by NGO Advisor, a Swiss publishing house
- SABERA Initiative Award, 2019
- Lipman Family Prize, Wharton School of Business, April 2018
- Peter Drucker Prize: Selected among top 10 finalists, 2018
- Mahatma Award for Social Good, New York City, 2018
- MIT SOLVE: Finalist, 2018
- Financial Times/International Finance Corporation Transformational Business Award: Winner: ICT Category, 2015; Finalist: Innovative Finance Category, 2014
- United Nations, Sept 2010: Operation ASHA was cited as one of the 11 most successful examples of “Public Private Partnership”
- Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award for Health, 2012: Showcased in the Wall Street Journal’s print edition on 16 Oct 2012
- mHealth Alliance & Rockefeller Foundation, 2012: One of the top 30 mHealth Innovators in the world
- India Development Marketplace, World Bank – 2013 & 2011
- Stop TB Partnership: Coordinating Board, 2009-12: Elected to this Board to represent NGOs from the developing world
- Government Awards for Exemplary Performance – City of Bhopal, 2016; City of Indore 2012; Delhi Government 2008
- Vodafone Mobiles4Good Award: Winner 2014, Finalist 2012
- Americares Spirit of Humanity Award: Winner, 2011: in Lung Diseases category; Finalist: 2012 in Jury’s Choice Category
- Porter Prize, 2016, for creating value based healthcare delivery
- Mint Strategy Award, 2015, for social development